Lori Lieblong has joined the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center in the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas as business consultant.

Prior to joining the center, Lieblong held a marketing position with NBTY, a leading vitamin and sports nutrition manufacturing company. She will be working with small business clients on issues such as financing options and the loan process, preparation of financial projections, market research, business planning, marketing and financial management.

Lieblong also can assist client small businesses with developing brand and advertising strategy as well as developing traditional and social media marketing plans. She will also assist in marketing the center in the eight-county region of Northwest Arkansas. She received a bachelor's degree in marketing and an M.B.A. from the Walton College.

Lori spent 10 years in the consumer products industry working in brand marketing, customer marketing and category management for manufacturing companies on a variety of product categories. She has experience working with top consumer products retail chains such as Walmart, Sam's Club, CVS and Walgreens.

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center at the Walton College has served the Northwest Arkansas community for more than 30 years. It is part of a national network of more than 1,000 small business development center offices that provide training, research and consulting services to existing and potential business owners. That network is the largest small business assistance program in the United States. The Walton College center operates as a regional office and is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration through a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the Walton College.

Any for-profit small business located or intending to locate in Northwest Arkansas may receive assistance from the center which provides services to businesses in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Marion, Newton, Searcy and Washington counties.

The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center serves all of Arkansas through UALR's Little Rock-based lead center and six regional offices. Visit the Walton College center's website at sbtdc.uark.edu for more information.